>Backstage at the benefit that took place Wednesday night under the name A Concert for Altadena, star and co-organizer Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes was talking about how he came close to thinking it was not necessarily vital to hold the concert exactly on the first anniversary of the devastating fires of Jan. 7, 2025. >“You know, I was saying today I’m so glad we did,” said Goldsmith, as the sold-out show was beginning at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. “Because initially I thought, ‘Oh, should we just do it on the Friday that week, to help people get here?’ But I mean, I’ve found myself, even, emotionally processing in ways that feel like this show’s gonna be all the more potent. If we had we done it on Friday, I feel like it just wouldn’t be necessarily living in us the way it is right at this moment.” >For Goldsmith, whose family lost part or all of three Altadena homes in the fire, all these emotions were encouraged and expected. “I think people want to have a good time, but I do think catharsis plays a massive role,” he said, “I think people are expecting to have to hold each other, but maybe also encourage a little bit of these (tougher) emotions. This is gonna be a space for that, whether it’s cheering or singing or crying. And I think a lot of these songs speak to kind of giving that opportunity.”